Two of today's trio of breweries are still going strong - Robinson and St. Austell. Two solid regional brewers with decent-sized tied estates. Brewers which are still pursuing the vertically-integrated approach. Back in the 1970s, pretty much all brewers, large or small operated that way. Other than Guinness, obviously. The one brewery in today's set which has closed - Ruddle - abandonned this system in the 1970s. Which is probably why they no longer exist.
Robinson
Stockport,
Greater Manchester.
Founded: 1838
Closed: still open
Tied houses: 318
One of the largest independent brewers in the Manchester area, Robinson endeared themselves to CAMRA by serving cask beer in all their tied houses. Their beers were pretty solid and enjoyed a good reputation. I quite liked them, too.
beer | style | format | OG | description |
Best Bitter | Pale Ale | draught | 1042 | well hopped |
Bitter | Pale Ale | draught | 1035 | |
Best Mild | Mild | draught | 1032 | Light Mild |
Old Tom | Old Ale | draught | 1079 | not too sweet |
Cock Robin | Pale Ale | keg | ||
Einhorn Lager | Lager | keg | 1035.9 | |
Light Ale | Pale Ale | bottled | ||
Pale Ale | Pale Ale | bottled | stronger | |
Party Brew | Pale Ale | can | Bitter in a 4-pint can | |
Old Tom | Old Ale | bottled | 1079 | |
Brown Ale | Brown Ale | bottled | ||
Unicorn Stout | Stout | bottled | medium sweet |
Ruddle
Langham,
Rutland.
Founded: 1858
Closed: 1998
Tied houses: 44
One of the early cult cask breweries, Ruddle took a rather unusual tack. In 1978, they sold off all but one of their tied houses to concentrate on the supermarket trade. A brave move, which ultimately didn’t work out. The brewery was bought by Grand Metropolitan in 1986, who sold them on to Grolsch in 1992. Who in turn sold them to Morland in 1997. I never cared for either of their Bitters. County was far too sweet and heavy. I never understood why some drinkers ratted it so highly.
beer | style | format | OG | description |
Bitter | Pale Ale | draught | 1032 | agreeable |
County | Pale Ale | draught | 1050 | exceptionally strong and well hopped |
Barley Wine | Barley Wine | draught | seasonal | |
Classic | Pale Ale | keg | 1050 | kegged County |
Keg | Pale Ale | keg | stronger and hoppier than many keg beers | |
Bitter | Pale Ale | keg | 1032 | kegged Bitter |
Mild | Mild | keg | Dark Mild full bodied | |
Langdorf | Lager | keg | ||
Light Ale | Pale Ale | bottled | ||
Export | Pale Ale | bottled | ||
County | Pale Ale | bottled | ||
Rutland Ale | Barley Wine | bottled | ||
Bob Brown | Brown Ale | bottled | ||
Strong Brown | Brown Ale | bottled | 1046 |
St. Austell
St. Austell,
Cornwell
Founded: 1860
Closed: still open
Tied houses: 132
One of the few independent breweries in Cornwall, St. Austell’s tied estate was mostly in the Southeast of the county. They served cask in a little more than half of their pubs. Unlike some brewers in the Southwest, they did still brew a Mild. Though it was pretty rare, especially in cask form. I can only remember coming across their beer at festivals. I thought they were OK, but nothing special.
beer | style | format | OG | description |
BB | Pale Ale | draught | 1031 | good malty flavour |
Hick's Special | Pale Ale | draught | 1050 | rich and distinctive |
XXXX | Mild | draught | 1032 | Dark Mild |
St. Austell Extra | Pale Ale | keg | 1037 | introduced in the early 1950s, filtered but unpasteurised |
Light Ale | Pale Ale | bottled | ||
Brown Ale | Brown Ale | bottled | ||
Duchy Special Pale Ale | Pale Ale | bottled | ||
Smuggler's Ale | Strong Ale | bottled | ||
Prince's Ale | Barley Wine | bottled | first brewed for Prince Charles' 21st birthday. One of the strongest beers in the country |